The fourth floor of Starlight Mall was the most luxurious section of the entire complex. Designer boutiques lined the wide marble corridor, their glass displays glowing beneath warm golden lights. Elegant mannequins wore the newest seasonal couture, while soft instrumental music drifted through the air, mixing with the distant murmur of shoppers and the quiet hum of escalators.
After leaving the previous boutique, Meilin and Mo Anan stepped into another store further down the corridor.
This shop was quieter.
More refined.
The display cases were made of dark walnut, and every accessory rested on velvet stands as if it were a piece of art.
Anan immediately leaned closer to Meilin.
"Honestly," she whispered dramatically, "that girl earlier had some nerve. Taking the tie like that."
Meilin shook her head lightly.
"It doesn't matter," she said calmly.
They walked deeper into the boutique.
A moment later Anan suddenly gasped.
"Wait! Look at this!"
She pointed excitedly at a display near the center counter.
Resting on a black velvet stand was a deep midnight-blue tie, woven with a subtle silver thread pattern that shimmered faintly under the lights.
It was elegant.
Sophisticated.
And far more striking than the one they had seen earlier.
"Oh this is perfect!" Anan declared.
"It would match your gown perfectly."
Meilin studied it quietly.
The color was indeed better suited for the banquet.
She nodded slightly.
"Yes. This one."
Just as the sales assistant carefully wrapped the tie in a gift box, a familiar voice spoke from behind them.
"Meilin?"
Both girls turned.
Xu Feng stood near the entrance of the boutique, holding several shopping bags. He looked slightly surprised to see them.
"Xu Feng," Meilin greeted calmly.
Anan blinked.
"Oh! You're that friend of Zihan's, right?"
Xu Feng laughed awkwardly.
"Yeah, that's me."
Meilin gave him a small nod.
"Congratulations," she said. "The stream was a success."
Xu Feng scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Well… it wasn't just me."
Anan tilted her head.
"Wait… why are we congratulating him for the stream?"
Xu Feng looked between them.
Then he said casually,
"Because Zihan and I founded ZM Technology together."
The sentence dropped like a stone in water.
Anan froze.
Her eyes widened.
"YOU WHAT?!"
She stared at him in disbelief.
"You mean… the ZM Technology? The company behind Mythfall?"
Xu Feng nodded awkwardly.
"Yeah… that one."
Anan slapped both hands over her mouth.
"Oh my god."
She turned to Meilin dramatically.
"You knew?!"
Meilin only gave a faint smile.
Anan immediately straightened and bowed slightly to Xu Feng.
"Congratulations!" she said sincerely. "That stream was incredible!"
Xu Feng laughed nervously.
"Thanks… we were honestly worried the servers would explode."
At that moment Meilin reached into her bag.
She took out an elegant envelope bearing the golden Tang family crest.
"This is for you," she said.
Xu Feng blinked in surprise as she handed it over.
He opened it slowly.
The moment he read the card his eyes widened.
"The Tang Mansion banquet…?"
Meilin nodded.
"This Sunday."
Then she added calmly,
"You may bring a companion if you wish."
Xu Feng looked stunned.
"Really?"
"Of course."
Anan leaned over his shoulder.
"That's the most exclusive banquet in the city," she whispered dramatically.
Xu Feng chuckled.
"Well… guess I need to buy a better suit then."
They finished paying for the tie and walked out of the boutique together.
The corridor of Starlight Mall buzzed with afternoon crowds, lights reflecting off polished marble floors.
After a few minutes of walking, Anan groaned dramatically.
"I'm exhausted."
She dropped onto a bench beside the railing.
"All this shopping is dangerous work."
Xu Feng laughed.
"So what now?"
Anan suddenly brightened.
"How about ice cream?"
She pointed toward the escalator.
"There's a café on the upper terrace. They have like fifty flavors."
Meilin considered for a moment before nodding.
"That sounds fine."
All three headed toward the café.
On the way, they passed another corridor where Su Min was just leaving a store with a small shopping bag.
She looked up and froze when she saw Xu Feng.
"Brother Feng?"
Xu Feng waved immediately.
"Hey! Su Min."
She walked toward them.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Celebrating the stream," Xu Feng replied. "We're going for ice cream."
Then he added casually,
"Come with us."
Su Min hesitated briefly before nodding.
"Okay."
As they walked together, Anan leaned closer to Xu Feng.
"Who's she?" she whispered curiously.
Xu Feng smiled.
"She's like my little sister."
Anan nodded.
"Oh, that's nice."
Soon the group reached the Starlight Terrace Café, a beautiful open-air corner overlooking the entire mall atrium.
They chose a large table near the glass railing.
The menu was massive.
"Let's order different flavors and share," Anan suggested enthusiastically.
Soon the table filled with colorful bowls—strawberry, mango, matcha, chocolate, blueberry, vanilla, caramel, and even exotic lychee ice cream.
Anan happily began tasting everything.
"This is heaven," she declared.
Meilin lifted her spoon quietly.
As she tasted the cool sweetness, her eyes drifted across the café.
In the far corner sat an elderly man.
He was dressed in a dark traditional suit, his silver hair neatly combed. Beside him stood a middle-aged butler with perfect posture.
Nearby, the Starlight Mall manager was speaking respectfully while holding a tablet.
Meilin recognized him immediately.
The cool elegance of the café felt suddenly smaller as Meilin approached the corner booth. The Starlight Manager instinctively stepped back, recognizing the aura of someone who didn't just walk through the world, but owned the ground she stood upon.
Old Mo looked up, his silver brows lifting in genuine surprise. Beside him, his butler bowed deeply—a sign of respect reserved only for those who had earned the Mo family's eternal gratitude.
"Elder Mo," Meilin said, her voice a calm ripple in the air. "It is good to see you looking so robust. I see the prescription I recommended after our last meeting at the Tang residence has been followed."
"Meilin!" The old man let out a hearty, though slightly raspy, laugh. "My savior. I was just telling this useless manager that the only reason I'm still standing here to read his reports is because of a young lady's steady hand and a very bitter pill."
He gestured to the seat across from him. "Your grandfather, the General, keeps bragging about how his granddaughter is the sharpest blade in the Capital. After you saved my life in that garden, I'm inclined to believe him. Sit, have some tea."
"I have friends waiting, Elder, but I couldn't pass by without greeting you," Meilin replied. She didn't mention her "intern" or her plans. In the world of high-society chess, the best moves are the ones the opponent never sees coming.
She reached into her bag and placed the cream-colored envelope on the table. The heavy gold embossing of the Tang crest caught the light.
"Grandfather is holding a banquet this Sunday," she said simply. "It would mean a great deal to him—and to me—if you were there."
Old Mo looked at the invitation, his eyes twinkling with a sharp, businessman's intuition. He knew that for Meilin to personally deliver this, the night held more weight than a simple party.
"If the General is finally ready to show off his successor, I wouldn't miss it for all the gold in Country Y," Old Mo said, tapping the envelope with a manicured finger. "I'll be there. And don't worry—I'll bring a gift worthy of the woman who kept my heart beating."
Meilin bowed slightly, the perfect picture of an aristocratic heiress. "Your presence is gift enough, Elder. I shall see you Sunday."
The Silent Observation
As Meilin walked back to the group, Old Mo watched her go. He turned to his butler, his voice dropping to a low whisper.
"She has the eyes of a ruler, doesn't she?"
"She does, sir," the butler replied. "Very much like your own daughter, the late Miss Xinyi."
Old Mo sighed, a flash of pain crossing his face at the mention of his lost daughter. "The Tang family is lucky. I only wish I could find my own blood as easily as the General found his successor. Keep the sensors active on the 'Butterfly' trace on right shoulder near nape. I want results ."
''''''''''
Anan was staring at Meilin as she sat back down, her spoon halfway to her mouth. "Meilin... did you just casually invite the King of Starlight to your house for dinner? Like he's just an old neighbor?"
"He is a neighbor," Meilin said, picking up her napkin with a graceful flick. "And he owes my grandfather a game of Go."
Xu Feng, however, remained quiet. He looked at Meilin, then at the distant figure of Old Mo. He knew the history of the Mo family. He knew they were looking for a grandson.
The pieces were no longer just on the board; they were beginning to collide.